FEWER UNEMPLOYED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 133, 8 March 1940, Page 5

FEWER UNEMPLOYED

BAY OF PLENTY AREA MANY CONTRACT JOBS "Tliere was a time wlieri we hail difficulty' in placing really good men who had never been on relief in their lives, but now we have difficulty in finding men whom vre can send with confidence tc jobs;' stated Mr L. H. Armstrong, Placement Officer tor the iiay of Plenty, when referring to the great decrease in men on Scheme 13 in the district. Mr Armstrong stated that there were at present more men engaged on 413 contract schemcs in the Bay of Plenty than there had ever been. At the same time there were fewer men 011 No. 13 scheme than there had been for a considerable time. Whereas the Tauranga borough within fche past 12 months had 12ft on this scheme, at the present there were only 55 in the whole of the Bay of Plenty district which extended from Katikati to Opotiki and inland to Taupo. Of these 55, all of whom were married with families, 44 were in Rotorua. For some time there had been n» single men offering in the district and married men had been sent to the forestry and land development schemes. Except for the farmers' requirements for milkers, the greatest, demand was from the mills, but as these were all for experienced men it was difficult, if not almost ims possible, to fill the positions. Apart* from that, there was little demand > for labour considering t-lie number ■ that had gone into camp. While many had left garages to join the • ground and engineering staffs of 1 the air force, these were not being ! replaced. Most of the 4B contracts were ; for stumping and scrub cutting, al--5 though some draining work was being done at, Reporoa, said the place-* r ment officer.